Hi everybody,

I'm soooo sorry it took me so long to update. I had writer's block and then got really sick, but i felt really bad and since i felt a bit better today decided to upload a new chapter for all you eager readers. Post any ideas or events you would like to see in my work or just leave comments so i feel better about writing this story for you guys (because i have thought about stopping from writing this story.)

Enjoy!

It's scary and terrifying when you're face to face with reality. When you realize what's really going on and hope it's all just a dream gone wrong. When you wish that soon, you'll wake up to a sunny day and hear the sweet chirp of birds. But you never do. Because you've never been truly asleep.

When I stared up into Professor Dumbledore's eyes, I panicked. He knew. He knew about the incident. And he knew about Draco and me. My eyes darted to the door, left ajar from Dumbledore's silent entry. But I kept my feet rooted to the ground and cast my eyes to his face.

"Ms. Granger, Mr. Malfoy, if you could please follow me to my office." He turned to speak with Madam Pomfrey, assuring her that we were fine and would come back if needed. I didn't notice Draco quietly snake his arm around my waist, his touch ever so light I hardly felt it. We marched after the headmaster in the silent hallways, quiet chatter and mumbling echoing off the walls as students practiced their spells and teachers droned on about their subjects.

The stone Pensieve was pulled out from the cabinet, pearl white and moonstone blue swirling inside it. Draco took a step towards it, enchanted by its beauty, but I nudged him back. We each took a seat in front of the desk, but Professor Dumbledore stood facing the window.

"Love is a wonderful thing, is it not?" Draco and I glanced at each other, our eyebrows perked up in perfect arches. "It can be the most wonderful thing in the world. Yet it is also very mysterious and secretive, choosing different paths for everyone." Fawkes flew over and perched by the window next to it's master, it black eyes gleaming. "Mr. Malfoy, that is a very particular wand you have in your pocket."

Draco's hand moved almost immediately towards his robe pocket. "Now, now, Mr. Malfoy, no need to worry. We are not here to discuss that. Now, Ms. Granger, I'm afraid to say that you have had you tries of murder."

I straightened up, 'Ex-excuse me?' My mouth opened and closed pathetically, and my cheeks warmed up from embarrassment- Draco obviously didn't know I had lost my voice because he looked at me with a questioning look in his eyes. Before he could say anything, Professor Dumbledore handed my special parchment and quill in my hands, and as I scribbled down my words, I looked quizzically at him: "Excuse me, Professor?I don't quite understand?" He nodded his head in agreement, "Yes, I am aware that this is still a mystery to you. Now, Mr Malfoy, If you don't mind I would like to get one of your memories. The one as to where you received all these bruises to be exact."

Draco huffed out an "Yes, sir.", took a long look at me and finally shut his eyes close, the silvery mist emerging from his temple. Dumbledore took out his wand-in his injured black hand- and carefully transferred the memory from Draco's mind to the Pensieve. "After you, Ms. Granger." I glanced down at the swirling colors, now flashing a light blue, and hesitated. A push from the back sent me tumbling in.

There I was. Or, there was pensieve me, wearing my cream-white nightgown and walking barefoot towards the lake. Two small thumps signaled the arrival of the Headmaster and Draco behind me. Professor Dumbledore trotted after the other me and we obediently followed after him.

Draco appeared before us in the memory. I saw his eyes pop out at the sight of me, but pensieve me stopped him. "Draco…" She had said. Or, I had said? But how could I have talked? How could I speak with, with my voice? I had lost it. But right then, it occurred to me, that there was a big chance that my voice could come back. That I hadn't lost it forever. I smiled at the thought.

"Ms. Granger, please focus." I glanced, embarrassed, at the professor as I watched the scene before me. Out of no where, the other me pulled out a silver scythe. An actual scythe. I saw Draco wince as the pensive Draco was knocked by the handle of the weapon I held in my hand.

I looked away, confused. My body was numb- how was this possible? There's no way I had… spoken and, and… tried to kill Draco. "You never really loved Hermione!" I heard the other me screech. "You killed her! How could you?" "My" voice seemed different, and an image flashed before me. A girl around my age, her brown hair as wild as mine and lips tugged upward in a warm smile, her arms crossed behind her back.

My body started shaking uncontrollably, and I gulped down air in need. Pensieve Draco seemed to be half awake- the blow to his head had probably given him a minor concussion- and was shaking his head and mumbling something under his breath. It sounded like he was trying to calm me down and explain something.

Suddenly, the ground started to shake and Pensieve me looked towards us. She stared me straight in the eyes, and it occurred to me that those eyes seemed different. A different shade of brown, because it was darker and so sad. By the time I had snapped out of it, she had run back to the castle. Dumbledore- from the past, I assumed- arrived and lifted Draco back to the castle, too.

The memory ended, and we were all sitting in the headmaster's office again. "Miss Granger, are you surprised?" I stared at my hands, my mind working like an engine. "Why would she be surprised? She can't believe that she tried to bloody murder me?" Draco had sprinted out of his seat and angrily pointed his finger at me. A murky memory of mine flashed before my eyes, a pale finger coated in blood, pointing right towards my heart- but then it was gone before I took another breath. By this point my head was throbbing and I fought to keep it down.

"Mr. Malfoy, sit down please." Draco didn't move. "Now." He plopped down, fists clenched. "You are unaware of the situation Ms. Granger is in. She has lost her voice."

"What?" I glanced up at Draco, his eyes swirling with disbelief and sorrow and uncertainty.
"That's why I have to use this, Draco." I wrote down carefully, "I really have lost my voice." Silence. Then "Since when?" he whispered, as though afraid to hear the answer. "Since I woke up again."

Draco's fists clenched, I heard the deep breaths he took in, a sign that he was blaming himself for the loss of my voice. But it's not like I could tell him otherwise. He was the one who took my voice away. I felt anger boiling up inside my heart, a voice in my mind chanting "yes, yes, yes." As if telling me to hate him, despise him, loathe him to the world's end. But my heart reminded me this wasn't his fault, because he had no choice- we had no choice. No. This was the consequence of our choice. We were selfish and this was our punishment.

"I have asked all your professors to dismiss you from classes today to sort things out between you two, and tomorrow if needed." I furiously shook my head, quill poised and ready to protest when the headmaster held up a hand and said in a wise, calm voice, "Trust me, Ms. Granger, you will not be behind if you miss two days of classes. Take your time, and just focus on the both of you. I believe the Room of Requirement would be happy to offer a cozy room for you two to, ahem, talk things through." And with a smile on his lips and a twinkle in his eyes, Dumbledore waved us off and the door squeaked shut to utter silence.